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Two meters. Not one more, not one less. Those have been the culprit that Naples airport had to reject a flight with origin in Philadelphia. Everything seemed to work without shocks on the morning of June 3. Until the passengers who had to land in Naples received the unpleasant surprise that they would land in Rome.
The reason: the plane was too big for the airport.
Six meters. That is the distance that differentiates a Boeing 787-8 from a Boeing 787-9. Both They are part of the Dreamliner family (which is also part of the Boeing 787-10) and are common on transatlantic flights since their autonomy widely exceeds 10,000 kilometers and have more than 200 places for passengers.
The size in all cases is 60 meters but its length grows as the last name number increases. Thus, the Boeing 787-8 measures 57 meters long but the 787-9 already extends to 63 meters long. The 787-10 reaches 68 meters long.
A small (big) difference. Those six meters long suppose a problem that is called 8 RFFS category airport (Rescue and Fire Fighting Services, for its acronym in English). This name refers to the aircraft that an airport can manage, according to the emergency and fire extinction services that it has at your disposal.
In this case, the 8 RFFS category allows aircraft to be operated with a maximum size of 61 meters long. That is, it can handle the Boeing 787-8 but not the Boeing 787-9, which exceeds in two meters the dimensions established by the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). In order to manage the landing of a Boeing 787-9 it is necessary for the airport to have a 9 RFFS category where airplanes are allowed to land up to 76 meters long.
Better to Rome. This scenario did not contemplate in American Airlines when they decided that, for operational reasons, a Boeing 787-9 had to operate the Philadelphia-Naples route that the airline keeps open. Usually, this journey is made by a Boeing 787-8 (smaller) since They open the route last summer. In fact, in the press release of the Naples airport it is specified that the plane used will be the smallest of the Dreamliner line.
But, as we said, last week American Airlines decided to send Naples a Boeing 787-9. When the plane It was 70 miles of his destiny he had to turn around and deviate to Rome. The problem was evident, from Naples they reported that they could not host the flight because their category prevents it. The plane was too big. Specifically, the two meters that exceeds an airport with 8 RFFS category can operate it.
By bus. They explain in Business Insider that passengers had to cover the distance between both airports by bus, on a trip that took them from two to three hours, or by plane, in Routes operated by Ita Airways. The company apologized and alleged the American media that “operational limitations” had occurred that had prevented the plane in southern Italy.
In CBS They point out that 231 passengers and 11 crew members who received, for any response from the company “apologies for the interruption of the trip” were traveling on board the aircraft, in a statement rescued by the media.
Photo | Dominic Bieri and Flightware
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